Tell me some surprising but obvious FACT about the place you live in

Edinburgh doesn't have a river flowing through its centre. It's not really coastal either so I guess it's quite unusual.

Never really thought much about it, but it is definitely true. Nearest river of any size is the Water of Leith which isn't really that close to city centre, and the city centre is about 5 miles inland from Leith (the port) which is quite a distinct place.

Most other cities seem to be one or the other. I guess it's because it grew up around the castle so is sort-of a hill top city. Like Macchu Picchu (sort of).

Stockport has more fly-overs than any other city in the uk with an average of 7 at any given moment, as it's right under most of the uk flight paths and right on the landing / take-off path for Manchester airport

The river mersey starts in stockport at the point where the Tame and the Goyt meet, the latter having been joined by the Etherow some miles previously in Marple. It is subsequently joined by the Irwell and the Bollin

Edgeley Park in Stockport is the closest Football League ground to the river Mersey

The river Taff in Cardiff used to run down where Westgate street is now - the one where the Millenium stadium access is. That's why there's a side-street called Quay street despite being currently nowhere near water.

It was just a tiny village on land owned by the Marquess of Bute until someone built a railway (or was it a canal) down here and a port from which to ship coal.

The Coal Exchange building in Mount Stewart Square is where the world's first million pound deal was made.

Cardiff Bay existed almost as a seperate town with a fair old gap between it and the city. This led to a quite seperate insulated community (Butetown) full of racial diversity and attitudes somewhat different to the mainstream. There were lots of terraces down there but I suppose a lot of it was flattened during the war.

There are two Wagamamas - mmmm, lovely

There are salmon in the River Taff.

You can get a water taxi from town to points around the Bay and even to Penarth, but it's ridiculously expensive.

Many people assume that Huntingdon is where the Roman encampment used to be, partly because it was chartered earlier. But in fact, the Romans were based in Godmanchester just over the river and Huntingdon developed from where the merchants and prostitutes congregated.

Some poeple might say that they never really left, 'cos most of Huntingdon is still a hole.

New Mills is the only town in the UK to have a park *under* the town since the town is built on both sides of a 30m gorge. The rivers that join in the gorge (Sett and Goyt which later join the Mersey at Stockport as nbt says ^^) powered several mills, one of which is the longest continuously operated mill in the UK. It closed in 2000 after 210 years production and the area is now industrial heritage land hence the "Park Under The Town" moniker.

Recently, waterpower came back to the area when a small hydro-electric plant was installed on the original weir built for the mills - the electricity that it produces powers the local Co-op supermarket!

In the 17th century many of the victims of Matthew Hopkins (the self-styled "Witchfinder General") spent their last days imprisoned in Chelmsford, before being tried at the Assizes and hanged for witchcraft.

I was born near the World Famous Hackney Marshes, which has the most football pitches, in one area, in the World.
Right next to the Marshes is the Lesney Products factory, where Matchbox toy cars were made.
Just down the road in Bow, is the Bryant and May match factory, where the Matchgirls' Strike was a key date in the struggle for the rights of Women in Britain.
Bow is also the place where India Pale Ale was first developed.
Bow Bridge saw battles between English and Danes, and was the edge of the Danelaw.
It was also reputed to be the first stone bridge in Britain.
The East End is incrediby rich in History, of course, and is the birthplace of movements such as the Salvation Army, and Dr Barnardos childrens' movement.
An area noted for it's peoples' resistance to facism and racism, highlighted by event ssuch as the Battle of Cable st, and the first Rock against Racism concert.

Actually, I doubt if many areas in the UK are as full of historical an inertesting facts!

Cork Harbour is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" (after Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia). Other contenders include Halifax Harbour in Canada, and Poole Harbour in England."